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Rusty talks with Forrest about his family of three and his family business, Belden’s Automotive & Tires. He talks about taking over the family business from his dad and what he has learned from his own mistakes. He also talks about how his first child was born premature, adopting his third child, and the challenges of parenting.
CrossFitting for a Decade
Rusty Belden has been CrossFitting with Coach Mike and Coach Anjo for a decade, across three different locations in San Antonio. He originally found CrossFit from Blake Yantis, a previous Optimist.
“One of the things I like about CrossFit you can find out real quick what you’re made of, how hard you want to push yourself, and what your body can tolerate, mentally and physically.”
Rusty “Top Gun” Belden
Like many Optimists who have been working out with us for 8,9,10+ years, Rusty’s first workout was “Baseline”. After that, he was addicted, making CrossFit a part of his routine. Nowadays, you can find Rusty going by the name “Top Gun” while he’s at the gym and always fashionably late to the noon class.
The Family Business: Belden’s Automotive & Tires
Rusty’s worked in the family business, Belden’s Automotive & Tires since he was a teen. After graduating from Baylor University, he worked in the business, starting at the bottom, sweeping and cleaning bathrooms. Rusty stressed the hard work his father put in to build the business and the many lessons he taught him. Once his father was ready to retire, Rusty took over. They now have 6 locations, 5 in San Antonio and 1 in Boerne.
“One of the things my dad really instilled is just how blessed and fortunate we were and that you can’t always be a taker. You always have to give back whether that’s through friends, through family, or through community. And that’s always been something that has been important to me and my family.”
Rusty “Top Gun” Belden
Belden’s Automotive and Tire has given back to the San Antonio community for many years. This will be the second time they will be supporting a fundraiser CrossFit Optimistic is hosting. Belden’s Automotive and Tires will be the Presenting Sponsor at Robin Sage, a Functional Fitness Fundraiser benefiting the Green Beret Foundation, a non-profit based in San Antonio. For the details to how to compete, volunteer, or donate, you can check it out here.
More From the Episode
That’s only the tip of the iceberg on what Coach Forrest and Rusty talked about! They dive deeper on the tough lessons Rusty has learned from running the family business. They finish the episode talking about Rusty’s wife Maggie and parenting their three kiddos. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts.